š Episode 44: Marcus's First Snare
Ethan's POV
The air in the cabin stank of blood and smoke. The wolves Marcus had sent lay broken at our feet, but I knew this wasn't over. Marcus never retreated without a plan.
I pulled Lila closer, scanning the wreckage. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, though her arms trembled as she still clutched the iron poker. Her eyes met mine, fierce even through exhaustion. "Not enough to stop me."
My chest tightened. She had fireāmore than some wolves I'd commanded.
Then Marcus stepped into the light, calm as if the chaos belonged to him. "You think this ends here?" His gaze slid over Lila, sharp with calculation. "She bleeds courage. But courage doesn't make her immortal."
I growled low, the wolf bristling inside me. "You won't touch her."
He smiled. "Oh, I already have."
Before I could react, two more wolves burst through the broken window, lunging straight for Lila.
Lila's POV
Ethan's roar shook the cabin as he launched at them, claws flashing. One wolf hit the ground instantly, blood spraying across the wood. The other dodged, circling me.
I raised the poker, my arms burning from fatigue. My breath came in shallow bursts.
"Come on," I whispered, forcing myself not to back down.
It lunged, and I struck, the iron slamming across its snout. The creature yelped, stumblingābut before I could finish, Marcus moved.
He was on me in an instant, faster than I could blink, his claws brushing my wrist as he tried to rip the poker away.
Ethan was still fighting, too farā
"Mine," Marcus hissed in my ear.
A flash of gold slammed between us. Ethan's claws carved across Marcus's chest, throwing him back with a snarl.
Ethan's POV
I planted myself between them, my body trembling with fury. "You'll never lay a hand on her again."
Marcus staggered, blood soaking his shirt. But instead of retreating, he laughedāa cold, twisted sound.
"You can't watch her every moment, Alpha. Sooner or later, she'll be alone. And thenā"
"Then I'll end you," I snarled, but he was already slipping into the shadows, his laughter echoing long after he vanished.
Lila's POV
I gripped Ethan's arm, still shaking. "He's not going to stop, is he?"
Ethan looked down at me, the gold still burning in his eyes. "No. But neither am I."
I wanted to believe him. And I did. But in the pit of my stomach, I knew Marcus's words weren't a threatāthey were a promise.
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āØ End of Episode 44